The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to a board-to-board connector, and, more particularly, to a board-to-board connector with reinforcing brackets arranged in fitting guide portions of both ends of a first housing of a first connector into which a second housing of a second connector is inserted so that, during fitting, the fitting guide portions are not damaged.
Board-To-Board connectors have been used for electrically connecting a pair of parallel circuit boards to each other. Such a board-to-board connector is electrically attached to respective opposing surfaces of a pair of circuit boards. An example of a typical board-to-board connector is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. 2008-084796.
FIG. 20 is a perspective view of a conventional board-to-board connector, illustrating a state where one and the other connectors of the board-to-board connector are prepared for coming into engagement to be fitted together. Referring to FIG. 20, a first connector 801 is one of a pair composing a board-to-board connector, and is mounted on a surface of a non-illustrated first board. Moreover, a second connector 901 is the other of the pair composing the board-to-board connector, and is mounted on a surface of a non-illustrated second board. The first connector 801 has a first housing 811 and a plurality of first terminals 861 fitted on the first housing 811, and the second connector 901 has a second housing 911 and a plurality of second terminals 961 fitted on the second housing 911. In addition, tail portions 862, 962 of the first terminal 861 and the second terminal 961 are soldered to terminal connection pads of the first board and the second board, respectively. Moreover, a concave portion 812 for receiving the second housing 911 is formed in the first housing 811. When the first connector 801 and the second connector 901 are engaged together by fitting, the first board and the second board are electrically connected by the mutual contact of the corresponding first terminals 861 and second terminals 961.
However, in the above-mentioned conventional board-to-board connector, during fitting operation, the first housing 811 or the second housing 911 may receive damage, or may be broken. When fitting the first connector 801 mounted on the first board and the second connector 901 mounted on the second board, an operator cannot view the fitting faces of the first housing 811 and the second housing 911 and may have to perform fitting operation by groping, depending on a working condition. Since the miniaturization and the height lowering of board-to-board connectors are progressing in recent years especially, it is difficult for the operator to view the fitting faces of the first housing 811 and the second housing 911. In this case, the operator, sliding the fitting faces of the first housing 811 and the second housing 911 by groping, adjusts the position of the second housing 911 to the first housing 811, and makes the second housing 911 inserted in the concave portion 812 of the first housing 811.
Accordingly, in a state where the first housing 811 and the second housing 911 are not completely aligned with each other, a fitting direction force may be applied to the first housing 811 and the second housing 911. In this case, a part of the fitting face of the first housing 811 or the second housing 911 may receive a large thrust, then may get damaged or broken. Especially, since guide portions 821 formed at both ends in longitudinal direction of the first housing 811 are comparatively thin, they may be broken easily, when, for example, the ends in longitudinal direction of the second housing 911 abut aslant them.